Good Deal for Gaza

The contours of the response to the Gaza flotilla fiasco are now coming into sharper public view: the Israeli government will significantly ease the blockade of Gaza in exchange for American support for a whitewash of the investigation of the flotilla incident.

I know a lot of people won't agree with me on this, but trading off the investigation for the blockade was the right move. It is difficult to imagine what value even a real, independent international investigation of the flotilla incident would possibly have. The incident itself was only a minor one in the longer, deeper story of the Gaza blockade -- a fiasco waiting to happen, not a bolt from the blue. An investigation narrowly focused on the flotilla and what happened during the Israeli boarding would be of only marginal value, while the process itself would be hopelessly politicized. The Israeli self-study seems designed to be self-discredting. By appointing David Trimble, founder of a "Friends of Israel" group, as one of the two international observers, they have more or less guaranteed that the results will be pleasing to their sympathizers and totally discredited in the eyes of everyone else. So be it.

mideast.foreignpolicy.com...

I'm surprised to be saying this, but I agree with the author of the article. We all know that any investigation would absolve Israel of all responsibility and turn the people on the ship into terrorists, so what's the point? This way at least the right thing will be done...sort of. The blockade should be lifted entirely, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

reply to post by InvisibleAlbatross


The attack was wrong,
the investigation will be wrong...

Israel, the only country that thinks two wrongs = a right...

I say have a FULL impartial investigation into the raid and the blockade....

reply to post by virgom129


I agree but that would never happen, so I think this is the best possible outcome.

Originally posted by InvisibleAlbatross
I'm surprised to be saying this, but I agree with the author of the article. We all know that any investigation would absolve Israel of all responsibility and turn the people on the ship into terrorists, so what's the point? This way at least the right thing will be done...sort of. The blockade should be lifted entirely, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Heard of justice?

Heard of the saying no justice, no peace?

Heard of my phrase that you can't obtain justice without truth?

Connect the dots..

Originally posted by InvisibleAlbatross
I'm surprised to be saying this, but I agree with the author of the article. We all know that any investigation would absolve Israel of all responsibility and turn the people on the ship into terrorists, so what's the point? This way at least the right thing will be done...sort of. The blockade should be lifted entirely, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

What makes you think an independent investigation would absolve Israel? The last time that happened, in the Golstone report, they got slammed bigtime. This incident was condemned all over the world - I sincerely doubt that an investigation would be generous to Israel, unless it came from the US or UK.

But the result would be the same - nothing. International law is only as good as the police force that enforces it - and nobody is going to send troops into Israel to arrest Knesset politicians or IDF members.

reply to post by Son of Will


Agreed they wont get arrested in Israel but wouldn't it be nice to know if they were found guilty and then set foot outside of Israel they would be arrested???

Rubbish.. There needs to be a full and impartial investigation by nuetral parties.